Balloon Arches Make Any Party Room Prettier

By Judy Sullivan


Parties and other special events can be brightened up with the whimsical fun of balloon arches. A simple way to beautify any entrance or stage, people have the option of either hiring a professional party decorator to set these delightful arrangements up, or they can do it themselves since it is not difficult or expensive to make.

There are so many variations of balloon arches that they are extremely versatile and can look great in just about any decorated room for any occasion. Parade floats, wedding reception halls, as a background for high-school prom photos, are just a few examples. Materials needed to build one typically don't cost much, and it should only take at most an hour of one's time.

It's essential that the balloons used be made of high quality latex, as these will typically last longer. As a rule of thumb, three or four balloons for each foot of arch are required, they can be all one color or multicolored to create a theme such as Halloween, Valentine's Day etc. Buying more balloons than necessary is wise in case some break.

Regular air or helium gas can be used for inflating the balloons. Helium tends to leak out slowly, so it won't last as long, but this shouldn't matter if it is needed for less than one day. Each balloon should be blown up to the same size as the others, and generally a larger arch will call for bigger balloons than a smaller one.

It is necessary to measure the location where the arch is to be positioned, in order to know how big the arch should be. When the space is taller than it is wide, double the height and add the width, if it's wider than taller, add both dimensions, and if they are the same, take 1/2 the width and add the height.

When helium balloons are used, secure a piece of fishing line across the intended place for the arch. As the balloons are blown up and tied, they can be added to the fishing line in desirable intervals. It may be easier to do this with two people working on it. The entire structure should start to rise. Another way to do this is to tie balloons together in twos and couple these with another two to make groups of four.

Making a frame can be done easily using PVC pipes to forms the sides of the arch and a curved piece of aluminum rod at the top, these can be fastened together with electrical tape. The balloons, whether on a string, or in clusters can now be attached onto this framework in the pattern of choice. Once the whole frame is covered, it should be weighted down with sand bags or bricks placed discreetly behind the lowest balloons on the arch.

Balloon arches should be wired to either some adjacent furniture, the wall, ceiling, or door frame when completed. If desired, some extra trimmings can be added such as flowers, streamers, ribbons, or a set of mini-lights, provided they don't directly touch the balloons, making them pop.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment